Remote actuation systems and methods

Abstract

Fly-by-wire vehicle systems and related remote actuation systems and operating methods are provided for actuating a remote flight control component using an individual analog command signal communicated over an individual electrical cable or wire. An exemplary method involves logic, circuitry or other hardware at a remote actuation system receiving an analog input command signal, converting the analog input command signal to a rotational speed command in a commanded rotational direction based on a relationship between a current state of the signal characteristic and a reference state for the signal characteristic, converting the rotational speed command into a power conversion command based at least in part on the rotational speed command and the current state of the motor, and operating power conversion circuitry at the remote actuation system to provide power to the motor in accordance with the power conversion command to achieve the commanded rotation in the commanded rotational direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a remote actuation system, the method comprising:
 receiving, at the remote actuation system, an analog input command signal having a signal characteristic indicative of a commanded rotation and a commanded rotational direction for a motor associated with the remote actuation system;   converting, at the remote actuation system, the analog input command signal to a rotational speed command in the commanded rotational direction based on a relationship between a current state of the signal characteristic of the analog input command signal and a reference state for the signal characteristic of the analog input command signal;   converting, at the remote actuation system, the rotational speed command into a power conversion command based at least in part on the rotational speed command and the current state of the motor; and   operating power conversion circuitry at the remote actuation system to provide power to the motor in accordance with the power conversion command to achieve the commanded rotation in the commanded rotational direction.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the analog input command signal comprises receiving the analog input command signal via an individual electrical cable coupled to an interface associated with the remote actuation system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein converting the analog input command signal comprises analog motor drive hardware coupled to the interface converting the analog input command signal based on the relationship and providing an output indicative of the rotational speed command and the commanded rotational direction. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein converting the analog input command signal comprises analog motor drive hardware at the remote actuation system determining the commanded rotational direction based on the relationship between the current state of the signal characteristic of the analog input command signal and the reference state for the signal characteristic, determining the rotational speed command based at least in part on a difference between the current state of the signal characteristic of the analog input command signal and the reference state for the signal characteristic, and generating an output indicative of the rotational speed command in the commanded rotational direction. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein converting the rotational speed command into the power conversion command comprises excitation logic generating one or more pulse-width modulated (PWM) duty cycle commands based at least in part on the commanded rotational direction and the current state of the motor, wherein a respective duty cycle of the one or more PWM duty cycle commands is influenced by the rotational speed command. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein operating the power conversion circuitry comprises operating an inverter coupled to the motor at the remote actuation system in accordance with the one or more PWM duty cycle commands. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising obtaining, at the excitation logic, measurement data indicative of a current position of a rotor of the motor from a positioning sensing arrangement associated with the remote actuation system, wherein the excitation logic generates the one or more PWM duty cycle commands for respective phases of the inverter based at least in part on the commanded rotational direction and the current position of the rotor. 
     
     
         8 . An actuation system comprising:
 a motor;   a sensing arrangement to provide measurement data indicative of a current position of the motor;   power conversion circuitry coupled to the motor;   an interface to receive an analog input command signal;   an analog motor drive hardware coupled to the interface to convert the analog input command signal to an output indicative of a rotational speed command in a commanded rotational direction based at least in part on a relationship between a current state of a signal characteristic of the analog input command signal and a reference state for the signal characteristic; and   excitation logic coupled to the analog motor drive hardware to convert the output of the analog motor drive hardware into one or more power conversion commands for operating the power conversion circuitry based at least in part on the current position of the motor.   
     
     
         9 . The actuation system of  claim 8 , wherein the sensing arrangement comprises a position sensing arrangement to provide rotor position measurement data indicative of the current position of a rotor of the motor, wherein the excitation logic is configured to convert the output of the analog motor drive hardware into the one or more power conversion commands for operating the power conversion circuitry to actuate the rotor in the commanded rotational direction based at least in part on the current position of the rotor. 
     
     
         10 . The actuation system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the sensing arrangement comprises one or more Hall effect sensors; and   the motor comprises a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor.   
     
     
         11 . The actuation system of  claim 8 , wherein the interface comprises an individual pin for connecting the actuation system to an individual electrical cable for receiving the analog input command signal via the individual electrical cable. 
     
     
         12 . The actuation system of  claim 8 , wherein the analog motor drive hardware is configured to determine the commanded rotational direction based on the relationship between the current state of the signal characteristic of the analog input command signal and the reference state for the signal characteristic, determine the rotational speed command based at least in part on a difference between the current state of the signal characteristic of the analog input command signal and the reference state for the signal characteristic, and generate the output indicative of the rotational speed command in the commanded rotational direction. 
     
     
         13 . The actuation system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more power conversion commands comprise one or more pulse-width modulated (PWM) duty cycle commands generated by the excitation logic based at least in part on the commanded rotational direction and the current position of the motor, wherein a respective duty cycle of the one or more PWM duty cycle commands is influenced by the rotational speed command. 
     
     
         14 . The actuation system of  claim 13 , further comprising an inverter coupled to the motor and gate driver circuitry coupled between the excitation logic and the inverter, wherein the gate driver circuitry is configured to operate the inverter in accordance with the one or more PWM duty cycle commands. 
     
     
         15 . The actuation system of  claim 14 , wherein the sensing arrangement comprises a position sensing arrangement to provide rotor position measurement data indicative of the current position of a rotor of the motor, wherein the excitation logic generates the one or more PWM duty cycle commands for respective phases of the inverter based at least in part on the commanded rotational direction and the current position of the rotor. 
     
     
         16 . An aircraft system comprising:
 a flight control component actuatable to influence at least one of a position and an attitude of an aircraft;   an electrical cable;   a flight control module coupled to the electrical cable to determine an actuation command for adjusting the at least one of the position and the attitude of the aircraft and transmit an analog command signal having a signal characteristic indicative of the actuation command; and   an actuation system coupled to the electrical cable to receive the analog command signal, wherein the actuation system comprises:
 a motor coupled to the flight control component to actuate the flight control component; 
 power conversion circuitry coupled to the motor; and 
 one or more hardware modules coupled between the electrical cable and the power conversion circuitry, wherein the one or more hardware modules are configured to convert the analog command signal to one or more power conversion commands corresponding to a commanded rotational speed for the motor in a commanded rotational direction for the motor based at least in part on a relationship between a current state of the signal characteristic of the analog command signal and a reference state for the signal characteristic of the analog command signal and operate the power conversion circuitry in accordance with the one or more power conversion commands. 
   
     
     
         17 . The aircraft system of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more hardware modules are configured to convert a magnitude of a direct current (DC) input current associated with the analog command signal to the one or more power conversion commands based at least in part on a relationship between the magnitude of the DC input current and a reference value for the DC input current. 
     
     
         18 . The aircraft system of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more power conversion commands comprise one or more pulse-width modulated (PWM) duty cycle commands corresponding to the magnitude of the DC input current. 
     
     
         19 . The aircraft system of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more hardware modules are configured to convert at least one of a duty cycle or a frequency associated with the analog command signal to the one or more power conversion commands based at least in part on a relationship between the current state of the least one of the duty cycle or the frequency and a reference value for the least one of the duty cycle or the frequency. 
     
     
         20 . The aircraft system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more power conversion commands comprise a plurality of pulse-width modulated (PWM) duty cycle commands to operate the power conversion circuitry to actuate the motor in the commanded rotational direction corresponding to a difference between the current state of the least one of the duty cycle or the frequency and the reference value for the least one of the duty cycle or the frequency.